How to combine aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise

For ordinary fitness enthusiasts without special competition needs, the least likely pitfall is that anaerobic exercise accounts for 60%-70% of the weekly training volume, and aerobic exercise accounts for 30%-40%. There is no need to deliberately split the two types of exercise into different training days. Most of the time, aerobic exercise can be completed after the strength training.

Speaking of which, when I first started working out, I didn’t believe in this evil. After more than half a year of strength training, my bench press increased by 20 kilograms, but my body fat was stuck at 20%. I couldn’t even climb the third floor without panting for a long time. Later, I listened to the coach’s advice and added 30 minutes of jogging twice a week, doing it at the end of the days when I did chest and back training. In two months, I lost 3 points of body fat, but my strength remained intact. Even my previous problem of being easily sleepy was much better.

If you are focusing on building muscle at this stage, you can completely reduce the proportion of aerobic to about 20%. Just choose low-intensity brisk walking or elliptical machines, and do not exceed 40 minutes at a time. Oh, by the way, there is still debate in the fitness circle. Many competitors in bodybuilding competitions insist that they cannot do aerobics at all during the muscle-building period, saying that even low-intensity exercises will cause muscle loss. Several friends I know who are preparing for competitions do rely on precise diet to control body fat in the early stage, and do not even walk too much. But for ordinary enthusiasts, it is not necessary. We do not have a professional team to help When calculating calories and protein intake, it is easy to accumulate visceral fat without doing aerobic exercise. Over time, insulin sensitivity decreases, and it is difficult for the nutrients eaten to transfer to the muscles, which will hinder muscle growth. Several enthusiasts around me who have practiced for two or three years are stuck in this platform. Later, they added brisk walking on rest days twice a week, and they slowly recovered.

If your goal is mainly to lose fat, don’t go to the other extreme and soak in the aerobic zone every day. I once had a colleague who lost weight in order to wear a wedding dress. He ran five kilometers every day after get off work and lost 15 pounds in three months. However, the waist was still saggy. Even the S size jeans that he could wear before were stuck in the hips. Later, the training plan was adjusted to 4 times a week for strength and 2 times for aerobic. The aerobic was replaced by 20-minute interval running after strength training. After another two months, the weight did not change, and the waist circumference was reduced by 6 centimeters. The waistline is particularly beautiful when wearing a wedding dress.

It doesn't matter if you are busy at work and can't spare a full training time. You can also arrange the forty- to fifty-minute gap clearly. Do 30 minutes of compound movements first, such as squats, deadlifts, and chest presses, which consume much more energy than isolation movements. The remaining 10 minutes of walking slowly uphill on the treadmill will be no worse than running alone for an hour. Friends with bad knees should not join in the fun of running and aerobics. Choose joint-friendly aerobics such as elliptical machines and swimming. Even if you only do it for 20 minutes each time, it is better than trying to injure your knees.

In fact, there is no need to get stuck on calculating ratios. On days when you have enough energy and you can still jump after strength training, it doesn't matter if you ride a bicycle for an extra 20 minutes. On days when you can't get off the training bench for leg training, it's completely okay to skip aerobics and go home to replenish protein. Fitness is to serve yourself, just adjust according to your own condition.